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Match Report

Report: Cardiff City 1 Blues 1

Birmingham City were unlucky not to leave the Cardiff City Stadium with all three points after they were held to a 1-1 draw in South Wales.

Blues took an early lead through David Cotterill but were pegged back after Anthony Pilkington capitalised on a failed Jonathan Grounds clearance.

Having had the better chances, Blues could feel hard done by not to finish the season with a win after hitting the woodwork twice and having two efforts cleared off the line.

Gary Rowett made three changes from last Friday's draw with Middlesbrough.

Midfielder Charlee Adams was handed his first start in place of Stephen Gleeson. Paul Robinson and Jonathan Spector also came in for Paul Caddis and Ryan Shotton.

It was the home side who started brighter.

Tom Lawrence brought Adam Legzdins into early action not once, but twice; but the 'keeper was equal to both of the midfielder's low efforts.

Blues began to to get a foot-hold and with their first attempt and took the lead through Wales International Cotterill.

David Davis' cross found the winger on the edge of the Cardiff area. Cotterill, taking one touch to set himself, fired a low drive into the bottom right-hand corner of David Marshall's goal to give Rowett's side the lead after 11 minutes.

Russell Slade's side looked to respond quickly and Legzdins was called into action again to deny Pilkington, after the forward skipped past the challenge of Robinson on the edge of the area.

Diego Fabbrini then struck the foot of the Cardiff post. The Italian - capitalising on a good advantage from referee Peter Bankes after Clayton Donaldson was brought down on the halfway line - carried the ball before his effort from 25-yards was denied by the woodwork.

Pilkington then brought his side level after 26 minutes. The forward fired past Legzdins after Jonathan Grounds failed to clear Scott Malone's cross at the far post.

The chances dried up in the opening 45 from then.

The hosts tried their luck from distance but Adams and Robinson putting their bodies on the line to make good blocks on the edge of the area.

Same as the first half, the hosts came out on the front foot, two minutes after the restart Craig Noone cut in from the right-hand side and fired a low left-footed effort goalwards which Legzdins and Robinson cleared between them.

It didn't take long for Rowett's side to take the initiative.

Cotterill looked to double his tally with a free-kick from distance but he couldn't find the target and Maikel Kieftenbeld tried his luck with a volley from the edge of the area that Marshall easily gathered.

Just before the hour the referee could've been forgiven for sending Ben Turner for an early bath when he brought down Donaldson on the edge of the area, the Cardiff defender the last man, but adjudged not to deny Donaldson a goalscoring opportunity.

From the resulting free-kick, Cotterill nearly restored Blues' lead. His free-kick superbly headed off the line by Noone.

Almost instantly, the hosts had a chance at the other end when Lex Immers' effort whistled past Legzdins left-hand post.

On 70 minutes debutant Adams tried his luck from 30 yards but saw his effort go narrowly over, that was to be the youngster's final involvement as he was replaced by Gleeson.

With little over ten minutes remaining, Robinson was on hand to clear after Legzdins saved substitute Kenneth Zohore's initial low shot after squeezing an effort past Spector and Morrison.

James Vaughan was introduced late on and nearly made an instant impact.

The Blues striker dispossessed Bruno Manga and found himself bearing down on the Cardiff goal, only to see his effort bounce back of the upright.

In stoppage-time Blues were again denied by a goal-line clearance.

Vaughan rose highest from a Cotterill corner and his downward header was headed away by Pilkington.

A huge appeal from the fans and players for the ball crossing the line, but the linesman said no.

Having enjoyed the better chances, Rowett's side had to settle for a point in the final match of the season.